Cereals have existed in North America since 1863. They weren't very popular originally because they were so tough and unrefined you had to soak them over night before you could eat them.Then readymade cereals came along and took off like crazy. Now there are hundreds of brands of cereals available from All Bran all the way to Organic Fruity O's. The problem is, cereals have been given the health halo, meaning when we think of cereals, we think of them as a healthy food. This can be very misleading though as many cereals out there are loaded with sugar and lack the balanced nutrition we require. The biggest culprits would have to be children's cereals. Let's compare the sugar found in some common kids cereals with that found in some less healthy snack foods.Froot Loops has as much sugar as.....an ice cream sandwichLucky Charms has as much sugar as....a TwinkieCinnamon Toast Crunch has almost as much sugar as....a 16oz cafe latteCaptain Crunch has as much sugar as...a crispy cream donutCorn Pops has as much sugar as...a 3/4 cup of caramel popcornFrosted Flakes has as much sugar as...12 Cadbury mini eggsNow these comparisons are approximate and many will argue that the cereals at least have fibre and other vitamins in them. Most of these cereals however have only about 1 grams of fibre per serving (with the exception of fruit loops coming in at 3 grams). Cereals can still be a great option for kids, but try to find ones with less sugar (ideally less than 8 grams per serving) and more fibre (ideally 4 grams of fibre or more). Or maybe consider some alternative foods for breakfast like peanut butter on toast or low fat cheese, fresh fruits and boiled eggs. Trying to figure out what's healthy in the cereal aisle can be a struggle. Don't get fooled by the packaging.

I know what you are going to say: It's icing, of course it's not healthy. But this icing stands out in a class of its own. My friends came over for a celebration one night and one friend brought cupcakes and Betty Crocker Icing to top them with.I remember loving the canned icing when I was little and dipping Teddy Graham Crackers into it as a treat. I was expecting to find lots of calories and sugar and probably a little fat. What I wasn't preapared for was the 2 whole grams of trans fats in every 2 tablespoons. Let me put it this way, even 0.1g of trans fats can have a seriously negative impact on your heart health. These are bad, cheap fats put into products to save on costs and increase shelf life, all at the expense of your health. I will miss this icing, but I value my healthy too much to ever eat it again. If you are looking for icing to top your desserts with, here is a basic recipe to get you started:Ingredients-2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar-1/2 cup butter or non hydrogenated margarine (butter will give a better texture but it is higher in saturated fat)-1 teaspoon vanilla extract-1 1/2 tablespoons milk-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder if you want chocolate icingInstructions1) Cream sugar, butter and vanilla. 2) Add milk 3) Add optional cocoa 4) If frosting is too sweet add a little more milkYes it's still icing sugar and you shouldn't go eating it by the spoonful, but at least this homemade recipe will be free of trans fats. There are some icings out there that don't have these trans fats in them. Just be sure to check the label for 0g trans fats and that nowhere in the ingredients list does it say the word hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated in front of the name of an oil (eg/ partially hydrogenated palm oil)

I've come across a lot of interesting work out videos in my day. One of the best by far is Body Flex from the 1980s. If you look this woman up, she is a firm believer in not just exercising the body, but the face too. The logic is that if you can tone your body muscles, you can tone your face muscles as well and avoid seeing a plastic surgeon to keep a youthful look.I have never come across such evidence. If anyone has please let me know. On the upside this woman has created a very entertaining You Tube Video. The best part is this isn't the funniest workout video I have seen. I'm still looking for a digital copy of one from the 90s I used to have on VHS. I'll post it once I find it!Happy Friday!

1) Boil pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat canola oil, garlic and onions on medium heat until onions are tender. 3) Add in all spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add in chicken and sauté until browned. Add in remaining vegetables except spinach and cook for another 3-5 minutes until tender. 4) Add pasta and toss vegetables through pasta 5) Add spinach and olive oil and toss for about a minute until wilted6) Divide between bowls and sprinkle 1 tbsp parmesan cheese on topMakes 4-6 servingsEnjoy!

Next month is all about food myths. I will be doing a segment on CTV as well as a live demo on the topic in the Hamilton Farmers Market (See Sensible Foodie Events!)I want to talk about the myths that most interest people or foods you have wondered about. So if you have something you've been itching to know, comment on this post and I'll do my best to add it to my talks! Your topic might just make in on the News or into the market!Ever wondered if a certain food is really as healthy as they claim?Did you hear something on TV lately that you were curious if it was true?Let me know!Don't forget to tune in this Wednesday for my segment on Heart Health on CTV SWO News at Noon. I'm doing a super tasty recipe!

Another interesting talk from the CDPAC conference was on the idea of learning from our history with Tobacco and the Law and applying it to sugar.

There is no doubt about it that our society consumes too much refined sugar. Slowly over time it has crept more and more into our food supply in the form of fructose corn syrups, refined flours and sweeteners.

In 2004 it was calculated by Stats Canada that the average Canadian consumes about 110.0 grams of sugar a day, the equivalent of 26 teaspoons (about 21% of calories in a day). In teenagers it was found to be as high as 41 teaspoons per day!!!

So imagine for the average Canadian that they are consuming about 22 sugar cubes/day. So it shouldn't be a surprise that we have increasing rates of obesity and diabetes all across the nation.

Now this is not to say sugar is solely to blame. Certainly fast foods, low activity, high fat intake and excessive portions also play a role, but with any epidemic, it can get complicated and we have to look at where the issues are and where we can start to make changes.

Sugary beverage consumption has dramatically increased over the past few decades partially thanks to its availability, delicious taste and low cost. My mother told me that when she was a child, they would go to the store once a week and get a 750ml bottle of pop and a family size bag of chips (about half the size of current bags) and this would be split amongst the 5 of them while they watched the Brady Bunch.

Now a 750ml bottle of pop is considered a large personal sized bottle. And this is part of the problem: our baseline of reference for what is normal has shifted. The change was so slow and subtle many of us didn't even notice the change but somewhere over the last 20 years we went from occasional treats to daily treats and now we are paying for it.

So at this conference the health professionals were talking about applying the same concepts that took down large tobacco companies and reduced rates of smoking and applying it to sweetened beverage. Keep in mind this is not just soda: It's lattes, juices, iced teas, energy drinks....anything with refined sugars in it.

You can imagine how the Food and Beverage representatives felt.

The Food and Beverage members argued that it was unfair to target them and they want to collaborate on a solution but health professionals keep them out. The companies are even offering to self regulate.

You know who else offered to self regulate?

Tobacco

Do you know what they ended up doing?

Nothing

it’s Déjà vu all over again. The trouble in this instance is that it's easy with tobacco to say "stop smoking, it will kill you", but with food you can't simply say "stop eating", because we need food.

What we don't need are foods with no nutritional value. Also, just like tobacco we need to recognize that even though these companies do "good will activities" like donating to hospitals and charities, their bottom line is still profit. They are a company after all. So our health is not always in their best interest; us buying their products is. So bringing them into the collaborative circle on how to deal with the disease epidemic is not likely beneficial.

If you look at current laws on tobacco, tobacco companies are in no way involved in the decisions on legislations made about tobacco and the reason is that their interests contradict with the health and well being of the population. As more evidence mounts on the impact of poor diets from refined foods, sugars and fats, I'm sure the need to take action and regulate these companies will become obvious.

I've done a post of children's advertising before, but I feel the need to bring it up again because of a conference I recently went to. The CDPAC (Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada) had their annual conference on the issues surrounding Chronic Disease (specifically diseases that are non contagious such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and mental illness).

There were lots of great talks, but one I sat in on that was particularly interesting was on marketing to children. The conversation got really interesting when the Food and Beverage representatives and Advertising Agency members became defensive over the idea that we might need better regulations on advertising to children because it is manipulative and children don't have the ability to understand this.

Currently we have policies in place under the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards. This was initiated a number of years ago by actual food and beverage companies that offered to collaborate with the government on a way to control the kinds of foods advertised to children on television. The idea was that there would be a reduction the in amount of advertising towards children and more “good for you” foods would be advertised over “junk food”.The only problem is that the methods they are using to choose what foods are “good for you” foods is so lax that foods like Dunk-a-Roos and Lucky Charms still make the cut. Tell me....since when do food coloring marshmallows and icing sugar constitute “good for you” foods?

The Food and Beverage members and advertising agency representatives insist we don't give children enough credit for their ability to be informed. I argue that advertising is still, at its core, manipulative (after all they are trying to make you buy their product) and such advertising is unfair to individuals that don't have fully developed thinking processes to understand this. Take this video for instance. It gives a perfect example of how easily kids can be manipulated. These children can be convinced to pick a rock over food simply by putting stickers of their favourite cartoons on them.

People will argue that regulations take away choice, I say a lack of regulations allow companies to run rampant and create an environment where sugary cereals, sweetened beverages and processed foods are the norm and preferred over whole foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. We need to work towards a world where whole foods are the preferred and the norm. Living in a world where they are shadowed by larger processed food advertising makes this pretty difficult.

I believe the best way to a healthy heart is through regular activity, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a diet low in saturated fats and high in plant fibres. There are however some additional things we can do that can give our heart an extra boost.

ChocolateNow don't go running out to the store to buy your favourite nougat filled, peanut encrusted, coconut crunchy treat. What I'm talking about is dark chocolate: plain and unprocessed. The more natural the chocolate (less processed) the better.Even the really dark chocolate bars can be too processed sometimes.

It's the cocoa that has the real benefit, but cocoa is very bitter, so we often process it with sugars and creams to take away the harsh taste. The problem is, the more processed it is, the less benefit you get because there will be less antioxidants and flavonoids (the things in cocoa that help our hearts). Keep in mind we get there same things from lots of fruits, veggies and beans, but having a small piece (1oz) of very dark, low processed chocolate about 2-3 times/week can put you on the right track to a healthy heart. Too much chocolate will likely have the opposite effect as it can still be high in saturated fats. Try my hot cocoa recipe with dark cocoa powder for a real antioxidant boost!

WineA glass of wine/day can provide a great anti-oxidant effect for the heart. While it was originally thought that red wine was the best choice for heart health, white wines and beers are showing similar benefits now.

There is some evidence in animals research indicating that resveratrol which is found in red wine, may have an anti-inflammatory effect on our blood vessels, meaning there is less damage to our heart over time. This is still not confirmed though. Keep in mind, just like chocolate there is such thing as too much of a good thing. Excessive intake of alcohol can increase bad cholesterol in the body and increase the risk of blood clots. It's small moderate amounts that are beneficial.

SexThat's right! A little romp in the sack with your honey can be good for your heart. Depending on how active you are in your love making you can burn anywhere between a few to a few hundred calories (Of course time is a factor as well). Not to mention regular cardio exercise can reduce blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Sex also improves mood and decreases stress and a reduction in stress is excellent for your heart!

So enjoy your valentines day with your special someone! It's not just good for your relationship, but for your heart health too! ;-)

Sorry for the delay, I'm at a conference this week and the computer access is limited.A high intake of fruits and vegetables everyday can help in maintaining health and reducing your risk for heart disease. Fruit and veggies are loaded with healthy fibres, vitamins, minerals, and low in fats overall. The average person needs between 7-10 servings in a day (7-8 for an adult woman and 8-10 for an adult man).

I know this seems like a big number but break it down a little for yourself: One serving of vegetables or fruit is about 1/2 a cup and the usual rule of thumb is 1/2 of your servings should be from fruit and 1/2 should be from vegetables. Keep in mind if it's a leafy raw green you have to double the serving size for it to count as one serving (they take up a lot more space).

Getting your vegetables however you can is important, be it on a sandwich, in a soup, in a salad or as part of a main dish. Many people find it hard to get enough servings and will try to increase their intake by having juices or smoothies.

I've talked previously in posts about the downfalls of juices, but I thought I'd touch on it again.

Blending is better than juicing. When you juice fruits or veggies, you take away all the fibre and a good portion of the minerals. If you are buying it in a store, it also often has added salt. At least when you blend fruits and veggies you are keeping the fibre in it and most of the added benefits.

Keep in mind, blending still concentrates things quite a bit and if you are adding lots of other calorie dense items like yogurt, honey or protein powder, you may be packing away more calories than you think and making it harder to maintain your weight.

Happy Heart Health Month everybody! This week I'll be focusing foods and nutrition issues that affect our heart. Be sure to sign up for my tasty heart healthy cooking class at the Hamilton Farmer's Market happening at the end of the week.

I just watched a great segment on CBC's the Market Place this weekend. It was all about bad labelling on food products. One of the topics brought up was deli meats. We know that an intake of high fat meats like mortadella or prosciutto can contribute to high cholesterol; so many people opt for lower fat deli meats like turkey or ham.

However, there is also a lot of research coming out now that links cured/deli meats with cancers (even the lower fat versions). According to recent studies, consuming just a couple of ounces of deli meat per week can increase your risk of heart disease by 21%!

The exact cause is unknown, but there is a suspicion that nitrites (a preservative found in deli meats) may be linked. So many people opt for the Maple Leaf Natural's Selects deli meats. Though there is no indication on the package that the product contains nitrates, it actually turns out there is. Just watch the video below to find out more. All it takes is the right wording and you would never know. Good thing CBC busted them and they are going to change the package!

Author

Kate ParkRD, CDE, PTS, MAN, BAScKate is a Registered Dietitian and self proclaimed foodie who studied her Master of Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph. Currently she practices at a Family Health Team in Southern Ontario. Her greatest passion in life is food, so she spends her spare time teaching cooking classes and nutrition courses all over Ontario.